CHENNAI: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday expressed deep anguish over the failure of the Constitution Amendment Bill on women's reservation in the Lok Sabha, squarely blaming the DMK-Congress alliance and accusing it of denying women their rightful share in India's political system

Talking to reporters here, Piyush Goyal said the proposed legislation, meant to operationalise the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, fell short of the mandatory two-thirds majority due to what he termed selfish politics by opposition parties. "The DMK-Congress combine has deprived our sisters and daughters of their rightful place in governance," he said.

Goyal said the Centre had explored structural reforms to implement the quota without affecting existing constituencies. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi was committed to increasing seats by about 272–273 to ensure fair representation while retaining the present structure," he said.

Turning to Tamil Nadu, Goyal alleged that women in the State were not happy with the DMK and Congress and would not forget the injustice. He also challenged Chief Minister MK Stalin to clarify whether his son, Udhayanidhi Stalin, would be projected as Chief Minister, warning of serious consequences for governance and stability if such a move materialises.

It may be recalled that the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill secured 298 votes in favour and 230 against, falling short of the 2/3 majority required for passage. The Bill proposed expanding the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats and reserving 33 per cent of them for women, linked to delimitation based on the 2011 Census.